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Healing ADD Revised Edition: The Breakthrough Program that Allows You to See and Heal the 7 Types of ADD
Hard, visual data make a compelling case for the existence of attention deficit disorder (ADD) in this pioneering work by Daniel G. Amen, M.D. Using a nuclear medicine technique called "single photon emission computed tomography" (SPECT)--a controversial step, according to some of his peers--Dr. Amen scans patients' brains to identify various abnormalities. From more than 8,000 such studies and more than 12,000 patient evaluations, Dr. Amen concludes that six--not the formerly presumed two--different types of ADD exist. This book encompasses the full spectrum of Dr. Amen's work: from symptom identification to clinical evaluation, to diet and medication recommendations, to everyday strategies for living with ADD (whether the reader is a parent of an ADD child, or has been diagnosed with the disease.)
No stranger to the skepticism surrounding this topic, Dr. Amen begins with a list of dead-on myths (including "ADD is overdiagnosed") and surprising facts ("Many people with ADD are never hyperactive"). From this intriguing beginning flows a highly readable chapter on the signs and manifestations of ADD in all ages. Dr. Amen's full description of SPECT imaging includes multiple brain scan photos that nicely support his theories. But the most satisfying element of this well-researched presentation occurs in the final half of the book; here, Amen thoroughly explores the biological (diet, exercise, medication), psychological (from personal coaching to psychotherapy), and social support (parenting and school strategies) needed to heal each type of ADD. This book will prove a valuable tool for parents, adult sufferers, and medical professionals seeking practical support for managing this increasingly recognized condition. --Liane Thomas
12 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 2001
1085 people are currently reading
3944 people want to read
About the author
Daniel G. Amen
178 books1,495 followersThe Washington Post called Dr. Daniel Amen the most popular psychiatrist in America and Sharecare.com named him the web's most influential expert and advocate on mental health.
Daniel Amen is a life-long Christian and graduate of Oral Roberts University School of Medicine. He is a double board-certified psychiatrist and multiple NY Times bestselling author, with such blockbuster books as Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, Healing ADD, Change Your Brain, Change Your Body, and The Daniel Plan, co-authored by Pastor Rick Warren and Dr. Mark Hyman. In November 2016, he and his wife Tana published The Brain Warrior's Way.
Dr. Amen is the founder of Amen Clinics, which has 6 locations across the United States. Amen Clinics has the world's largest database of brain scans related to behavior, totaling more than 125,000 SPECT scans on patients from 111 countries.
Dr. Amen's research team has published more than 70 scientific articles on a wide variety of topics related to brain health. He is the lead researcher on the largest brain imaging study on active and retired NFL players and was a consultant on the movie Concussion starring Will Smith. In 2016, Discover Magazine named his brain imaging work for psychiatric diagnoses as one of the top 100 stories in all of science.
Dr. Amen has also hosted 11 national public television shows about the brain, which have aired more than 80,000 times across North America and raised more than 75 million dollars for stations.
You can connect with Dr. Amen on Facebook and Twitter
Daniel Amen is a life-long Christian and graduate of Oral Roberts University School of Medicine. He is a double board-certified psychiatrist and multiple NY Times bestselling author, with such blockbuster books as Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, Healing ADD, Change Your Brain, Change Your Body, and The Daniel Plan, co-authored by Pastor Rick Warren and Dr. Mark Hyman. In November 2016, he and his wife Tana published The Brain Warrior's Way.
Dr. Amen is the founder of Amen Clinics, which has 6 locations across the United States. Amen Clinics has the world's largest database of brain scans related to behavior, totaling more than 125,000 SPECT scans on patients from 111 countries.
Dr. Amen's research team has published more than 70 scientific articles on a wide variety of topics related to brain health. He is the lead researcher on the largest brain imaging study on active and retired NFL players and was a consultant on the movie Concussion starring Will Smith. In 2016, Discover Magazine named his brain imaging work for psychiatric diagnoses as one of the top 100 stories in all of science.
Dr. Amen has also hosted 11 national public television shows about the brain, which have aired more than 80,000 times across North America and raised more than 75 million dollars for stations.
You can connect with Dr. Amen on Facebook and Twitter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 238 reviews
June 20, 2011
Doctors thought I had depression/anxiety, but when I had to change doctors and the new doctor who has a background in neurology, started asking me about the medication the previous doctor had put me on and then asking me specific questions about my life, school, organization struggles, etc. He told me I test positive for type 2 A.D.D. and not depression. Currently working off the depression meds, and starting a new course of action. This explains a lot of my frustrations I had in school growing up. I was a good student, but I had to work a lot harder and longer for my grades. Dr. Amen gives some good insight and techniques in his book which seem to be helping me, but I don't agree with some of his theories. I also don't like the title of the book. I like my brain. I like the creativity, intelligence and insights it allows me to have. I don't feel like I need to be "healed" I feel like I just need to find better skills and strategies to work with my brain. It is a good brain, just a little distracted and disorganized at times.
March 9, 2017
excellent book but a a little long if you actually HAVE add
October 18, 2019
TL;DR - if you or someone you love has ADD/ADHD and you are trying to figure out how to help, SKIP THIS BOOK AT ALL COSTS. It is detrimental in all senses advocating expensive snake oil and other more potentially abusive solutions.
Dr. Daniel Amen is the most popular Psychiatrist in the world. He specializes in brain disorders and not shy of the spotlight. He has built a billion dollar industry on his claims and methodology and published many books on the subject. So, this is where I started when I wanted to re-explore my relationship with ADD as an adult.
I found Amen's comprehensive work to be be well organized, easy to follow, provocative, and full of helpful tidbits. However, I also found it overly-prescriptive, dismissive, extremely dated, and full of dubious or unsubstantiated claims. While I appreciate his qualitative approach to treatment, it is also confusing then that he then presents this ad hoc qualitative approach as quantitative without any substantial or validated research behind it.
According to Amen, his extensive use of SPECT scanning gives him the unique ability to understand ADD/ADHD in a way no one else can. He presents his outlines and basic findings for his definitions of (now) 7 distinct types of ADD based on these SPECT brain scans. These are: Classic, Inattentive, Overfocused, Temporal Lobe, Limbic, Ring of Fire, and Anxious along with the bonus type of Head Trauma. Each type may be characterized by a symptom, treatment, or scan similarities. Symptoms range widely and may include: inattentive, distractable, hyperactive, impulsive, dishonest, manipulative, short attention span, poor organizational skills, procrastination, daydreaming, hyper-focus, perfectionism, anger, aggression, violent tendencies, paranoia, sensory issues (i.e. touch or light), "nasty behavior", unpredictability, anxiety, fearfulness, fearlessness, tense, headaches, stomachaches, anxiety attacks, and inappropriate sexual behavior.
"Holy crap. That's a really broad base of symptoms. I mean... I resonate with some of those but others seem contradictory or really extreme. Is all this ADD?"
I'm right there with you. And this is where things started to fall apart for me. The problems begins when we start to ask, "what are we really calling ADD?" With the great breadth of definition in the above, one could diagnose just about anything you wanted under this broad spectrum. And modern psychology has started to examine ADD under the broader spectrum of sensory disorders as a result though the Amen clinics do not recognize this. The above resonates too strongly with the tendency in the 80s and 90s to conveniently blame all child difficulties on ADD/ADHD.
"But the brain scans are proof of his diagnostic trends!"
I'm glad you brought that up. Lets talk about SPECT for a moment. SPECT stands for Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography. Information from SPECT is gathered based on the spatial concentration of injected radioactive pharmaceutical compounds. Very similar to PET scanning. Very different to an MRI.
There is zero reliable evidence that establishes SPECT as an accurate way to assess or diagnose anything about the human condition. Amen would disagree, but he has an empire to defend.
Some notes on SPECT. -what is it-why not PET or CAT
So why SPECT? It is what was available early in his career. And it is extremely cheap (like 1/20th the cost of maintaining a CAT or PET lab) to operate. This is the most profitable way to show someone any kind of correlative brain patterns or activity.
There are serious ethical questions to be raised here. His SPECT studies operate only on an out-of-pocket basis which puts him 1) beyond the reach of regulatory agencies. He is 'self-taught' in his methodologies (which again, were out of pocket for his subjects) which sounds a lot like 2) unregulated experimentation at a patient's expense. And finally, 3) there is not an insignificant risk to the exposure of radiation required - especially for young children. If the risk-factors are similar to PET, this would mean approximately 18 cancer deaths as a result of his 70,000 scans. And all, unapologetically, being done for profit.
Were treatment is concerned, I liked Amen's approach which began with a huge focus on lifestyle and holistic choices (i.e. diet and exercise) before medication. I think he struck a very good balance here and I think this portion of the book could easily be pulled out on its own. However, if you pull that out, its just good advice and not specific to ADD at all. Everyone should eat well. Everyone should exercise. This is obviously where the origins of Daniel Plan stem.
As a clinician, this is where I think Amen's work falls apart. Amen writes like a behaviorist of the 1980s with complete reliance on A+B=C causal relationships. Ironincally, peer-reviewed research in brain-scanning has led to a resurgence in the other end of the spectrum over the last several decades. Amen ignores more modern resarch.
More troubling, Amen very dismissive of the people in his book with ADD. It was clear he struggled greatly in his relationships with those he loved. And he presents those around persons with ADD as the real victims. But he is empowering in in his dismissive attitude of persons with ADD - defining them as quarrelsome and manipulative and talking about how they need to be 'handled'. There was no humanization of what it was like to be a person with ADD. For Amen, 'healing' means functioning in the world and no longer being a problem or embarrassment for those around you. This is the kind of sentiment that sees a spike in abuse among children with mental disabilities.
In conclusion, Dr. Amen has some great anecdotal advice about communication, conflict, and diet. However, taken into context with ADD was specifically problematic. And this is where I have decided to leave it. At best, Amen has some great life advice and his methods may reach some people that are otherwise unreachable. At worst, Amen proffers his magic snake oil with complete disregard for the greater medical community. Either way, not for me.
Dr. Daniel Amen is the most popular Psychiatrist in the world. He specializes in brain disorders and not shy of the spotlight. He has built a billion dollar industry on his claims and methodology and published many books on the subject. So, this is where I started when I wanted to re-explore my relationship with ADD as an adult.
I found Amen's comprehensive work to be be well organized, easy to follow, provocative, and full of helpful tidbits. However, I also found it overly-prescriptive, dismissive, extremely dated, and full of dubious or unsubstantiated claims. While I appreciate his qualitative approach to treatment, it is also confusing then that he then presents this ad hoc qualitative approach as quantitative without any substantial or validated research behind it.
According to Amen, his extensive use of SPECT scanning gives him the unique ability to understand ADD/ADHD in a way no one else can. He presents his outlines and basic findings for his definitions of (now) 7 distinct types of ADD based on these SPECT brain scans. These are: Classic, Inattentive, Overfocused, Temporal Lobe, Limbic, Ring of Fire, and Anxious along with the bonus type of Head Trauma. Each type may be characterized by a symptom, treatment, or scan similarities. Symptoms range widely and may include: inattentive, distractable, hyperactive, impulsive, dishonest, manipulative, short attention span, poor organizational skills, procrastination, daydreaming, hyper-focus, perfectionism, anger, aggression, violent tendencies, paranoia, sensory issues (i.e. touch or light), "nasty behavior", unpredictability, anxiety, fearfulness, fearlessness, tense, headaches, stomachaches, anxiety attacks, and inappropriate sexual behavior.
"Holy crap. That's a really broad base of symptoms. I mean... I resonate with some of those but others seem contradictory or really extreme. Is all this ADD?"
I'm right there with you. And this is where things started to fall apart for me. The problems begins when we start to ask, "what are we really calling ADD?" With the great breadth of definition in the above, one could diagnose just about anything you wanted under this broad spectrum. And modern psychology has started to examine ADD under the broader spectrum of sensory disorders as a result though the Amen clinics do not recognize this. The above resonates too strongly with the tendency in the 80s and 90s to conveniently blame all child difficulties on ADD/ADHD.
"But the brain scans are proof of his diagnostic trends!"
I'm glad you brought that up. Lets talk about SPECT for a moment. SPECT stands for Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography. Information from SPECT is gathered based on the spatial concentration of injected radioactive pharmaceutical compounds. Very similar to PET scanning. Very different to an MRI.
There is zero reliable evidence that establishes SPECT as an accurate way to assess or diagnose anything about the human condition. Amen would disagree, but he has an empire to defend.
Some notes on SPECT. -what is it-why not PET or CAT
So why SPECT? It is what was available early in his career. And it is extremely cheap (like 1/20th the cost of maintaining a CAT or PET lab) to operate. This is the most profitable way to show someone any kind of correlative brain patterns or activity.
There are serious ethical questions to be raised here. His SPECT studies operate only on an out-of-pocket basis which puts him 1) beyond the reach of regulatory agencies. He is 'self-taught' in his methodologies (which again, were out of pocket for his subjects) which sounds a lot like 2) unregulated experimentation at a patient's expense. And finally, 3) there is not an insignificant risk to the exposure of radiation required - especially for young children. If the risk-factors are similar to PET, this would mean approximately 18 cancer deaths as a result of his 70,000 scans. And all, unapologetically, being done for profit.
Were treatment is concerned, I liked Amen's approach which began with a huge focus on lifestyle and holistic choices (i.e. diet and exercise) before medication. I think he struck a very good balance here and I think this portion of the book could easily be pulled out on its own. However, if you pull that out, its just good advice and not specific to ADD at all. Everyone should eat well. Everyone should exercise. This is obviously where the origins of Daniel Plan stem.
As a clinician, this is where I think Amen's work falls apart. Amen writes like a behaviorist of the 1980s with complete reliance on A+B=C causal relationships. Ironincally, peer-reviewed research in brain-scanning has led to a resurgence in the other end of the spectrum over the last several decades. Amen ignores more modern resarch.
More troubling, Amen very dismissive of the people in his book with ADD. It was clear he struggled greatly in his relationships with those he loved. And he presents those around persons with ADD as the real victims. But he is empowering in in his dismissive attitude of persons with ADD - defining them as quarrelsome and manipulative and talking about how they need to be 'handled'. There was no humanization of what it was like to be a person with ADD. For Amen, 'healing' means functioning in the world and no longer being a problem or embarrassment for those around you. This is the kind of sentiment that sees a spike in abuse among children with mental disabilities.
In conclusion, Dr. Amen has some great anecdotal advice about communication, conflict, and diet. However, taken into context with ADD was specifically problematic. And this is where I have decided to leave it. At best, Amen has some great life advice and his methods may reach some people that are otherwise unreachable. At worst, Amen proffers his magic snake oil with complete disregard for the greater medical community. Either way, not for me.
September 13, 2008
Excellent resource for parents who either suspect that their child may have ADD or has been diagnosed with it. As I read the core symptoms of ADD, I discovered that I have it myself. I've been able to function better just knowing that I have an "ADD brain". I'm not crazy or lazy, I just have to work with the way my brain acts.
September 20, 2024
My son's psychiatrist recommended this book. He has a sub-type of ADHD which regular stimulant medication was only causing bad behavioral side-effects (increased obsessive behavior and explosive temper tantrums). This book based on research and PET scans of kids brains helped me understand why and deal with the ups and downs as we experimented with medication cocktails which would help him with his impulsiveness (under-stimulated parts of the brain) without over-stimulating the parts which were causing trouble (over-stimulated parts of the brain).
I'm giving this book a 'hard' review of less than 5-stars because there was one thing I really found myself wishing for and hope Dr. Amen will add it to the next revision of this book ... a synopsis at the end of each chapter with a list of symptoms to help you differentiate one of the six types of ADHD from one of the other six types outlined in this book. The case studies are excellent, but I was left looking at two types asking 'which one?' (In the end ... the mere fact it's a real physiological illness and not because I'm a bad parent wants to make me send Dr. Amen a dozen roses for writing this excellent book!)
If your kid has ADHD and isn't responding to Ritalin, buy this book!
UPDATE: after three years of failed medication and behavioral therapy, it turns out my son had an OMEGA-3 deficiency. The "why" of this has to do with complex biochemical reactions, low-grade pernicious anemia, and our Western diet, but the psychiatrist prescribed 1 tablespoon of Norwegian Fish Oil chased down by a sublingual B-12 tablet, and within 2 weeks, his "ADHD / PDD-NOS" faded, and then went away completely. So still get this book, but look into your kid's diet. Seriously...
I'm giving this book a 'hard' review of less than 5-stars because there was one thing I really found myself wishing for and hope Dr. Amen will add it to the next revision of this book ... a synopsis at the end of each chapter with a list of symptoms to help you differentiate one of the six types of ADHD from one of the other six types outlined in this book. The case studies are excellent, but I was left looking at two types asking 'which one?' (In the end ... the mere fact it's a real physiological illness and not because I'm a bad parent wants to make me send Dr. Amen a dozen roses for writing this excellent book!)
If your kid has ADHD and isn't responding to Ritalin, buy this book!
UPDATE: after three years of failed medication and behavioral therapy, it turns out my son had an OMEGA-3 deficiency. The "why" of this has to do with complex biochemical reactions, low-grade pernicious anemia, and our Western diet, but the psychiatrist prescribed 1 tablespoon of Norwegian Fish Oil chased down by a sublingual B-12 tablet, and within 2 weeks, his "ADHD / PDD-NOS" faded, and then went away completely. So still get this book, but look into your kid's diet. Seriously...
May 27, 2018
Overall, I'm sort of meh on the book. Maybe if I had read it earlier on in our journey through learning about ADHD, I would have been more impressed, but at this point, I wasn't learning a ton of new things. It's really lengthy, but good for skimming. It does have some interesting perspectives on the variations of ADD and respective nuances in approach, but at times a little heavy handed on the author/doctor's proprietary brain scans and all his anecdotal references. It didn't have enough scientific, research based facts to sway me. In general, it felt more like a manual of how to be a patient at his practice rather than how to truly navigate the world of ADHD.
October 22, 2014
Loved this book. It has information I've never heard about ADHD, even though it was written several years ago. Dr. Amen is a neuroscientist who has used SPECT brain-imaging scans to see activity and blood-flow patterns of thousands of people. The images correspond with his findings on what's happening in the brains of people with ADHD (as well as lots of other things like brain injury and drug/alcohol use--take a look at real scan pictures at www.amenclinic.com--fascinating stuff). Very helpful information.
February 1, 2009
I am surrounded by people who I suddenly understood a lot better from the information in this book. It also gave me some tools to put some of them on a path to discover the truth about themselves and how to improve their lives. I noticed a lot of duplicate information in this book from one of Dr. Amen's other books I read, but if you are not planning to read all of his books you'll be glad it is in there. If you at all suspect someone you care about has ADD, this is a great starting point.
May 11, 2016
This is a great resource that sums up Dr. Amen's work on ADD in the last decade. I have seen him speak a handful of times and having recently discovered I have a version of ADD, quickly searched out Amen resources for his wise insights and fearless non-traditional approaches.
Amen is controversial in the psychiatry world for his use of SPECT imaging, SPECT, as I understand it, provides a geographic map of the brain and detects the levels of activity in different regions of the brain. From this information, Amen can deduce if adverse behaviors are due to brain development issues and address those areas specifically, before engaging in the typical therapy and medications. There are many wonder stories Amen has of patients who came to him after finding no relief with traditional psychiatrist, he then runs a scan and treats a specific part of the brain (for example an underactive frontal lobe) leading to improvement, and sometimes strengthening the deficient area, a "cure".
The wonderful insight of this book are the seven divisions of ADD that Dr. Amen has identified and distinguished, revealing the nuance in an "over-prescribed" and often claimed as "fake" condition. There are great explanations for the typical medical treatments, such as stimulants and anti-depressants, and when they are necessary, as well as specific suggested remedies unique to each of the seven ADD categories. Being that the brain is part of a system, Amen also details a proper nutrition plan as well as many other personal development items, such as journaling and getting rid of automatic negative thoughts. I feel that even if someone already has an understanding of ADD, they will benefit from this book due to Amen’s unique spin.
To offer my own story, I came to discover I had ADD within the last several months. I have always had an ardent thirst for knowledge – personally and academically - but have felt like a martyr through the mental flogging required satisfying this desire. My own ADD type appears to be largely “limbic ADD”, something Amen describes as being due to an overactive limbic system which regulates emotion. Due to this, limbic ADD is commonly associated with depression and negative thoughts; I have experienced depression most of my life, largely in relation to feeling like a failure (hello ADD) and being unable to divorce myself from studies to areas I may be “more incline towards”. Anti-depressants never worked for me, as it turns out I don’t have typical “depression” and it’s actually a symptom of Limbic ADD, and a mild stimulant made the world of difference. A small dose of Adderall along with personal development practices has the despair receding and me feeling normal again; rediscovering a side of myself I forgot about for nearly 4 years.
As a point of comparison, I also purchased Dr. Amen’s 30 Days to ADD Healing course for $150 and I have to say I feel this book is much better. The course may be great for people who need to be held accountable to something, but I found it much more frustrating to navigate the information and felt it offered nothing new beyond providing worksheets for Amen’s suggested personal development exercises. In this book, everything is concise and it’s cheap. To the reviewers who mention this book leaves you hanging, well yes, it’s just a book, you must pursue the change. If the book isn’t sufficient enough, then the call to action is to visit Amen’s SPECT center to truly figure out with going on in your head, or join his online course. With all the being said, this book is a gem and worth much more than its price tag.
Through reading Amen as a whole, I have come to develop a sort of Physicalism. It appears that many people with adverse behaviors do not simply lack willpower, virtue, or a good environment, but rather the issues are linked to one's brain. ADD people don't "choose" not to study, rather due to the less developed part of the brain ( in some ADD types), their regulatory systems for making prudent choices are impaired. Although this is not a scientific textbook, I can imagine some of the material being supplemental to a study of neuroscience or determinism.
Reviewers may be right that the book is repetitive, but don’t let that stop you; be an active reader and find what’s important to you. I probably only read 30 pages in total myself, moving between area relevant to my question and skipping Amen’s anecdotes as I have heard them before.
Amen’s book serves as an excellent primer to anyone new to the concept or someone trying to become actively involved in their own treatment. It’s an easy read even if you just do section skimming, where I highly recommend it. After reading his book, I realize my psychiatrist has loosely used several concepts of his, but this book has offered excellent depth that I don’t think I would otherwise have come to discover; and I’m not sure if my psych understands the fullness of Amen’s principles either. In essence, this book makes ADD much less of a mystery and more a hopeful prospect of overcoming. Amen points out, and as an experience of ADD will know, people with ADD are no weak, but are especially strong when they are resourceful enough to get by or cope without knowledge that their struggles aren’t the norm. Solutions for ADD are less about “fixing” someone, and more about helping you reach your full potential.
Thank you Dr. Amen for not being afraid to be controversial in your method and helping me to better understand myself.
Note: Amen has a newer edition of this book which details a 7th category of ADD and has a much more aesthetically pleasing cover.
Amen is controversial in the psychiatry world for his use of SPECT imaging, SPECT, as I understand it, provides a geographic map of the brain and detects the levels of activity in different regions of the brain. From this information, Amen can deduce if adverse behaviors are due to brain development issues and address those areas specifically, before engaging in the typical therapy and medications. There are many wonder stories Amen has of patients who came to him after finding no relief with traditional psychiatrist, he then runs a scan and treats a specific part of the brain (for example an underactive frontal lobe) leading to improvement, and sometimes strengthening the deficient area, a "cure".
The wonderful insight of this book are the seven divisions of ADD that Dr. Amen has identified and distinguished, revealing the nuance in an "over-prescribed" and often claimed as "fake" condition. There are great explanations for the typical medical treatments, such as stimulants and anti-depressants, and when they are necessary, as well as specific suggested remedies unique to each of the seven ADD categories. Being that the brain is part of a system, Amen also details a proper nutrition plan as well as many other personal development items, such as journaling and getting rid of automatic negative thoughts. I feel that even if someone already has an understanding of ADD, they will benefit from this book due to Amen’s unique spin.
To offer my own story, I came to discover I had ADD within the last several months. I have always had an ardent thirst for knowledge – personally and academically - but have felt like a martyr through the mental flogging required satisfying this desire. My own ADD type appears to be largely “limbic ADD”, something Amen describes as being due to an overactive limbic system which regulates emotion. Due to this, limbic ADD is commonly associated with depression and negative thoughts; I have experienced depression most of my life, largely in relation to feeling like a failure (hello ADD) and being unable to divorce myself from studies to areas I may be “more incline towards”. Anti-depressants never worked for me, as it turns out I don’t have typical “depression” and it’s actually a symptom of Limbic ADD, and a mild stimulant made the world of difference. A small dose of Adderall along with personal development practices has the despair receding and me feeling normal again; rediscovering a side of myself I forgot about for nearly 4 years.
As a point of comparison, I also purchased Dr. Amen’s 30 Days to ADD Healing course for $150 and I have to say I feel this book is much better. The course may be great for people who need to be held accountable to something, but I found it much more frustrating to navigate the information and felt it offered nothing new beyond providing worksheets for Amen’s suggested personal development exercises. In this book, everything is concise and it’s cheap. To the reviewers who mention this book leaves you hanging, well yes, it’s just a book, you must pursue the change. If the book isn’t sufficient enough, then the call to action is to visit Amen’s SPECT center to truly figure out with going on in your head, or join his online course. With all the being said, this book is a gem and worth much more than its price tag.
Through reading Amen as a whole, I have come to develop a sort of Physicalism. It appears that many people with adverse behaviors do not simply lack willpower, virtue, or a good environment, but rather the issues are linked to one's brain. ADD people don't "choose" not to study, rather due to the less developed part of the brain ( in some ADD types), their regulatory systems for making prudent choices are impaired. Although this is not a scientific textbook, I can imagine some of the material being supplemental to a study of neuroscience or determinism.
Reviewers may be right that the book is repetitive, but don’t let that stop you; be an active reader and find what’s important to you. I probably only read 30 pages in total myself, moving between area relevant to my question and skipping Amen’s anecdotes as I have heard them before.
Amen’s book serves as an excellent primer to anyone new to the concept or someone trying to become actively involved in their own treatment. It’s an easy read even if you just do section skimming, where I highly recommend it. After reading his book, I realize my psychiatrist has loosely used several concepts of his, but this book has offered excellent depth that I don’t think I would otherwise have come to discover; and I’m not sure if my psych understands the fullness of Amen’s principles either. In essence, this book makes ADD much less of a mystery and more a hopeful prospect of overcoming. Amen points out, and as an experience of ADD will know, people with ADD are no weak, but are especially strong when they are resourceful enough to get by or cope without knowledge that their struggles aren’t the norm. Solutions for ADD are less about “fixing” someone, and more about helping you reach your full potential.
Thank you Dr. Amen for not being afraid to be controversial in your method and helping me to better understand myself.
Note: Amen has a newer edition of this book which details a 7th category of ADD and has a much more aesthetically pleasing cover.
February 9, 2011
Dissecting the 6 types of ADD and what can be done to deal with the disorder as it is. Living apart of a family with different types of ADD is challenging, this book helps as it does not give the simplistic antidotes about ADD = forgetfulness, HaHaHa. This gives case studies of Dr. Amen's patients and the course of action he used to bring about balance using medicine.
Now this is not a book for someone looking to diagnose themselves with the disorder, rather it gives a glimpse into how ADD manifests itself, what the families had done in the past - what led them to the Amen clinic, and the remedies the clinic has used to assist the patient to overcome ADD.
What am I doing right now....Stopped drinking coffee - switched to Yerba Mate.....Changed the entire family's diet to a Vegan/Vegetarian/Raw Food diet (this is not an ideologist view of food - rather food as a cure approach)....working with the family doc who was recently certified in "stop Autism now" approach, who has augmented my severely ADD son's medication regime.
Now this is not a book for someone looking to diagnose themselves with the disorder, rather it gives a glimpse into how ADD manifests itself, what the families had done in the past - what led them to the Amen clinic, and the remedies the clinic has used to assist the patient to overcome ADD.
What am I doing right now....Stopped drinking coffee - switched to Yerba Mate.....Changed the entire family's diet to a Vegan/Vegetarian/Raw Food diet (this is not an ideologist view of food - rather food as a cure approach)....working with the family doc who was recently certified in "stop Autism now" approach, who has augmented my severely ADD son's medication regime.
January 14, 2021
Some of my notes...didn't get notes done on the last couple chapters which share info on how to help child succeed at school and home.
Healing A.D.D. By doctor Daniel G Amen
Five Hallmark symptoms of ADD
1. Short attention span, for regular, routine, every day tasks. People with ADD have a difficult time with boring tasks and need stimulation or excitement in order to stay engaged. Many people with ADD I can pay attention just fine for things that are new, novel, interesting, highly stimulating, or frightening.
2. distractibility. People with ADD tend to notice more in their environment than others, which makes them easily distracted by outside stimuli, such as light, sounds, smells, soon tastes, even the clothes they wear. They can sensitivity causes them to get easily off task.
3. Disorganization. Most people with ADD tend to struggle with organization of time and space. They tend to be late and have trouble completing tasks on time. Many things get done at the last moment or even later. They also tend to struggle keeping their space neat especially their rooms, book bags, filing cabinets, drawers, closets, and paperwork.
4. Procrastination. Tasks and duties get put off until the last moment. Things tend not to get done until there are deadlines or someone else is mad at them for not doing it.
5. Poor internal supervision. Many people with ADD have issues with judgment and impulse control, and struggle not to say or do things without fully thinking them through. They also have a harder time learning from their mistakes.
Summary of the seven types of ADD
Type 1: classic ADD ( ADHD)- inattentive, distractible, disorganized, hyper active, restless, and impulsive.
Type 2: inattentive ADD- inattentive, easily distracted, disorganized, and often described as space cadets, daydreamers, and couch potatoes. Not hyper active!
Type 3: over focused ADD – inattentive, trouble shifting attention, frequently get stuck in loops of negative thoughts or behaviors, obsessive, excessive worrying, inflexible, frequent oppositional and argumentative behavior. May or may not be hyperactive.
Type 4: temporal lobe ADD – inattentive, easily distracted, disorganized, irritable, short fuse, dark thoughts, mood instability, and may struggle with learning disabilities. May or may not be hyperactive.
Type 5: limbic ADD – inattentive, easily distracted, disorganized, chronic low-grade sadness or negativity, glass half empty syndrome, low energy, tends to be more isolated socially, and frequent feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness. May or may not be hyperactive.
Type 6: ring of fire ADD – inattentive, easily distracted, irritable, overly sensitive, cyclic moods, and oppositional. May or may not be hyperactive.
Type 7: anxious ADD – inattentive, easily distracted, disorganized, anxious, nervous, predicts the worst, gets anxious on timed tests, social anxiety, and often has physical stress symptoms, such as headaches and gastrointestinal symptoms. May or may not be hyperactive.
Pg xv
Common treatments for all types: one, take a multivitamin. 2, take omega-3's, three, eliminate caffeine and nicotine. Four, exercise daily for 30 to 45 minutes, five, limit television video games and device time to no more than 30 minutes a day., six, food is a drug. Most people with ADD do best with a higher protein lower simple carbohydrate diet. Seven no yelling! Many people with ADD have low activity in the front part of their brains, due to lower levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. As a way to feel more alert they often find themselves in conflict or excitement. They can be masterful at making other people mad or angry at them. Do not lose your temper with them, because it often makes things worse. If they get you to explode, their unconscious, low energy frontal cortex turns on and Unconsciously they come to crave it. Never let your anger be there medication. They can get addicted to it. Eight, test ADD kids and adults for learning disabilities . They occur in up to 60% of the people with ADD. Nine, never give up seeking help
Try natural treatments before you consider medication.
Never forget the ADD strengths. People with ADD are often highly intelligent, competent, and successful. It is well known that many CEOs have ADD and they tend to thrive when they hire people to keep them on track and organized. People with ADD often make wonderful writers, artists, and sales people. There's a high incidence of people with ADD among certain professions, such as ER physicians and trauma nurses. They tend to be people who run toward fires, as opposed to people like me who tend to run away from dangerous situations. In wartime, ADD people tend to be our heroes because they are better able to throw caution to the wind, but in peacetime that same trait can get them into trouble. Never let the idea that you have ADD hold you back from reaching for your dreams or be an excuse on why you cannot get there. Pg xx
Brain SPECT imaging visit amenclinics.com/the- science/brain – spect – abstracts
In the 1990s the largest, longest, most expensive treatment study on ADHD was undertaken at six sites in the United States, involving many of Americas most prominent ADHD researchers. It included 579 80 HD children who were given 14 months of intensive medication management(mm), behavior therapy(bt )combined MM\BT, or a referral to a local physician
The researchers reported that "although the study provided strong support for the mediate reduction of symptoms with intensive medication management, the long-term follow-up data failed to provide support for continued medication treatment be on two years for the majority of children."
New brain imaging research suggests that using stimulants alone may actually be making the situation worse. for many they found the treatment with Ritalin over a year increased the dopamine transporter's – proteins that help clear dopamine, the neurotransmitter that helps us focus – out of the brains synapses, meaning that there is less dopamine to do it's work. Taking a stimulant seems to increase the need for it
In this version of healing ADD I will clearly outlined the method we use at the amen clinic's for evaluating and treating patients and give you many tools you can use in your life to effectively manage and even thrive with ADD.
Pg xxxi
Treatment can be very effective when properly targeted, especially when using a comprehensive approach including education, support, exercise, nutrition, and personalized supplements or medications. Unfortunately, when children or adults do get treatment for ADD, shotgun medications are usually the only treatment given.
Current studies indicate the 25 to 50% of ADD kids outgrow their symptoms by puberty… but Most ADD children outgrow the hyper active component before puberty but the inattention and impulsivity remain… there is a high incidence of complex in ADD families, especially during the teenage years. These conflicts often center around failure to do school work, problems completing routine chores, and difficulty being trusted to obey the rules. Pg 10
Kids who watch the most TV do the worst in school. TV is a no brain activity. Everything is provided to the brain sounds, sites, plots, outcome, entertainment so it doesn't have to work to learn or make new connections. Like a muscle, the more you use your brain, the stronger it becomes and the more I can do. The opposite is also true in the less you work it, the week or it becomes. Repeatedly engaging in no brain activities, such as tv, decreases a persons ability to focus. In addition, the pacing of TV has changed over the past 30 years. 30 years ago 32nd commercial had 10 three second scenes. The same commercial on 2000 has 31 seconds scenes. We are being programmed to need more stimulation in order to pay attention. Video games are often another serious problem. I have seen that many ADD children literally become addicted to playing video games. They will play for hours at a time, to the detriment of their responsibilities, and go through tantrums and withdrawl symptoms when forced to stop. A study on brain imaging and videogames was published in the journal nature. In the study, PET scans were taken while group of people played action video games. The researchers were trying to see where video games worked in the brain. They discovered that the basal ganglia where the attention neurotransmitter dopamine works in the brain, we are much more active when the video games are being played then at rest. Both cocaine and Ritalin work in the basal ganglia. Sidenote the reason cocaine is highly addictive and prescription stimulants like Ritalin tends not to be, is related to how each drug is metabolized. Cocaine has a powerful, immediate effect that stimulates an enormous release of the neurotransmitter dopamine. The pleasure of the springs rapidly fades, leaving the desire for more. Ritalin and other stimulants like Adderall, on the other hand work more slowly, inducing Ohio or pleasure in most people and the effects stay around for a longer time. Similarly, video games bring pleasure in focus by increasing dopamine release. The problem with them is that in the more double mean it's released, the less neurotransmitters available later on to do school work, homework, chores and so on. Many parents have told me that the more child or teen plays videogames, the worse he does in school and the more irritable he tends to be when he's asked to stop playing. In the 2011 study, 10 to reported five hours or more video games/internet daily use had a significantly higher risk of sadness, suicidal thoughts, and planning. In another study from the centers for disease control it was found the female video game players reported greater depression and poor overall health than the non-players. Male video game players reported to higher body mass index and more Internet use time overall than male nine players. In another study from Norway found that as computer game playing increase there's a higher prevalence of sleeping problems, depression, suicide ideation's, anxiety, obsessions compulsions, and alcohol substance abuse.
It's essential that parent supervise time children spend on the Internet and that they put limits over the kinds of sites available. Recent studies have shown that the kids to spend the most time on the Internet have the poor social skills. Balance and supervision are the biggest keys.
Video games and television have led to another major contributor in the rise of ADD in our society, the lack of exercise. Exercise increases blood flow to all parts of the body, including the brain. As kids watch more TV and spend more time exercising only their arms with video games, they are becoming more sluggish and less attentive. Through the years I've seen a direct relationship between the level of exercise a person gets in the severity of their symptoms. I have also noted that when my ADD patients are playing sports, such as basketball, where there is intense aerobic exercise, they do better in school, without any change in their medication. Pg 35m
One of the fastest ways to hurt your brain is to get less than seven or eight hours of sleep at night. People who typically get six hours of sleep or less have lower overall blood flow to the brain, which hurts it's function.
Brain reserve starts before you were even born. When you were conceived, if your mother ate well, took her vitamins, and wasn't under a lot of stress, she was building your reserve. But if she drank, smoked, or ate poorly, you likely started with less reserve. In the same way throughout the rest of your life you are either building or depleting your reserve. Being raised in a loving, stable, healthy environment strengthen your reserve, where getting a concussion from playing contact sports or being chronically stressed or fed junk food drain your reserve. And unfortunately as we age the brain becomes less and less active, making you more vulnerable to problems. But the really good news is that no matter what your age you can boost your reserve and make your brain look and feel younger. Pg 57
Parenting and family strategies: spend some special time with your child each day even if it's only 10 to 15 minutes. Be a good listener-be clear with what you expect. It is effective for families to have posted rules, spelling out the values of the family. For example "we treat each other with respect, which means no yelling, no hitting, no name-calling or put downs. We look for ways to make each other's lives easier.". When a child lives up to the rules and expectations be sure to notice him or her. Mean what you say. Don't tell a child 10 times to do something. Children live up to the labels we give them. In parenting always remember the words "firm but kind". Pg 295
It's important to distinguish between punishment and discipline. Punishment means to inflict a penalty for wrongdoing. Discipline, from the word disciple, means to teach or train. It's critical that we use discipline to teach children how to be good, rather than inflict punishment when they're not. Reinforcing good behavior is a much more effective change agent then giving consequences to bad behavior. Pg 303
Healing A.D.D. By doctor Daniel G Amen
Five Hallmark symptoms of ADD
1. Short attention span, for regular, routine, every day tasks. People with ADD have a difficult time with boring tasks and need stimulation or excitement in order to stay engaged. Many people with ADD I can pay attention just fine for things that are new, novel, interesting, highly stimulating, or frightening.
2. distractibility. People with ADD tend to notice more in their environment than others, which makes them easily distracted by outside stimuli, such as light, sounds, smells, soon tastes, even the clothes they wear. They can sensitivity causes them to get easily off task.
3. Disorganization. Most people with ADD tend to struggle with organization of time and space. They tend to be late and have trouble completing tasks on time. Many things get done at the last moment or even later. They also tend to struggle keeping their space neat especially their rooms, book bags, filing cabinets, drawers, closets, and paperwork.
4. Procrastination. Tasks and duties get put off until the last moment. Things tend not to get done until there are deadlines or someone else is mad at them for not doing it.
5. Poor internal supervision. Many people with ADD have issues with judgment and impulse control, and struggle not to say or do things without fully thinking them through. They also have a harder time learning from their mistakes.
Summary of the seven types of ADD
Type 1: classic ADD ( ADHD)- inattentive, distractible, disorganized, hyper active, restless, and impulsive.
Type 2: inattentive ADD- inattentive, easily distracted, disorganized, and often described as space cadets, daydreamers, and couch potatoes. Not hyper active!
Type 3: over focused ADD – inattentive, trouble shifting attention, frequently get stuck in loops of negative thoughts or behaviors, obsessive, excessive worrying, inflexible, frequent oppositional and argumentative behavior. May or may not be hyperactive.
Type 4: temporal lobe ADD – inattentive, easily distracted, disorganized, irritable, short fuse, dark thoughts, mood instability, and may struggle with learning disabilities. May or may not be hyperactive.
Type 5: limbic ADD – inattentive, easily distracted, disorganized, chronic low-grade sadness or negativity, glass half empty syndrome, low energy, tends to be more isolated socially, and frequent feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness. May or may not be hyperactive.
Type 6: ring of fire ADD – inattentive, easily distracted, irritable, overly sensitive, cyclic moods, and oppositional. May or may not be hyperactive.
Type 7: anxious ADD – inattentive, easily distracted, disorganized, anxious, nervous, predicts the worst, gets anxious on timed tests, social anxiety, and often has physical stress symptoms, such as headaches and gastrointestinal symptoms. May or may not be hyperactive.
Pg xv
Common treatments for all types: one, take a multivitamin. 2, take omega-3's, three, eliminate caffeine and nicotine. Four, exercise daily for 30 to 45 minutes, five, limit television video games and device time to no more than 30 minutes a day., six, food is a drug. Most people with ADD do best with a higher protein lower simple carbohydrate diet. Seven no yelling! Many people with ADD have low activity in the front part of their brains, due to lower levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. As a way to feel more alert they often find themselves in conflict or excitement. They can be masterful at making other people mad or angry at them. Do not lose your temper with them, because it often makes things worse. If they get you to explode, their unconscious, low energy frontal cortex turns on and Unconsciously they come to crave it. Never let your anger be there medication. They can get addicted to it. Eight, test ADD kids and adults for learning disabilities . They occur in up to 60% of the people with ADD. Nine, never give up seeking help
Try natural treatments before you consider medication.
Never forget the ADD strengths. People with ADD are often highly intelligent, competent, and successful. It is well known that many CEOs have ADD and they tend to thrive when they hire people to keep them on track and organized. People with ADD often make wonderful writers, artists, and sales people. There's a high incidence of people with ADD among certain professions, such as ER physicians and trauma nurses. They tend to be people who run toward fires, as opposed to people like me who tend to run away from dangerous situations. In wartime, ADD people tend to be our heroes because they are better able to throw caution to the wind, but in peacetime that same trait can get them into trouble. Never let the idea that you have ADD hold you back from reaching for your dreams or be an excuse on why you cannot get there. Pg xx
Brain SPECT imaging visit amenclinics.com/the- science/brain – spect – abstracts
In the 1990s the largest, longest, most expensive treatment study on ADHD was undertaken at six sites in the United States, involving many of Americas most prominent ADHD researchers. It included 579 80 HD children who were given 14 months of intensive medication management(mm), behavior therapy(bt )combined MM\BT, or a referral to a local physician
The researchers reported that "although the study provided strong support for the mediate reduction of symptoms with intensive medication management, the long-term follow-up data failed to provide support for continued medication treatment be on two years for the majority of children."
New brain imaging research suggests that using stimulants alone may actually be making the situation worse. for many they found the treatment with Ritalin over a year increased the dopamine transporter's – proteins that help clear dopamine, the neurotransmitter that helps us focus – out of the brains synapses, meaning that there is less dopamine to do it's work. Taking a stimulant seems to increase the need for it
In this version of healing ADD I will clearly outlined the method we use at the amen clinic's for evaluating and treating patients and give you many tools you can use in your life to effectively manage and even thrive with ADD.
Pg xxxi
Treatment can be very effective when properly targeted, especially when using a comprehensive approach including education, support, exercise, nutrition, and personalized supplements or medications. Unfortunately, when children or adults do get treatment for ADD, shotgun medications are usually the only treatment given.
Current studies indicate the 25 to 50% of ADD kids outgrow their symptoms by puberty… but Most ADD children outgrow the hyper active component before puberty but the inattention and impulsivity remain… there is a high incidence of complex in ADD families, especially during the teenage years. These conflicts often center around failure to do school work, problems completing routine chores, and difficulty being trusted to obey the rules. Pg 10
Kids who watch the most TV do the worst in school. TV is a no brain activity. Everything is provided to the brain sounds, sites, plots, outcome, entertainment so it doesn't have to work to learn or make new connections. Like a muscle, the more you use your brain, the stronger it becomes and the more I can do. The opposite is also true in the less you work it, the week or it becomes. Repeatedly engaging in no brain activities, such as tv, decreases a persons ability to focus. In addition, the pacing of TV has changed over the past 30 years. 30 years ago 32nd commercial had 10 three second scenes. The same commercial on 2000 has 31 seconds scenes. We are being programmed to need more stimulation in order to pay attention. Video games are often another serious problem. I have seen that many ADD children literally become addicted to playing video games. They will play for hours at a time, to the detriment of their responsibilities, and go through tantrums and withdrawl symptoms when forced to stop. A study on brain imaging and videogames was published in the journal nature. In the study, PET scans were taken while group of people played action video games. The researchers were trying to see where video games worked in the brain. They discovered that the basal ganglia where the attention neurotransmitter dopamine works in the brain, we are much more active when the video games are being played then at rest. Both cocaine and Ritalin work in the basal ganglia. Sidenote the reason cocaine is highly addictive and prescription stimulants like Ritalin tends not to be, is related to how each drug is metabolized. Cocaine has a powerful, immediate effect that stimulates an enormous release of the neurotransmitter dopamine. The pleasure of the springs rapidly fades, leaving the desire for more. Ritalin and other stimulants like Adderall, on the other hand work more slowly, inducing Ohio or pleasure in most people and the effects stay around for a longer time. Similarly, video games bring pleasure in focus by increasing dopamine release. The problem with them is that in the more double mean it's released, the less neurotransmitters available later on to do school work, homework, chores and so on. Many parents have told me that the more child or teen plays videogames, the worse he does in school and the more irritable he tends to be when he's asked to stop playing. In the 2011 study, 10 to reported five hours or more video games/internet daily use had a significantly higher risk of sadness, suicidal thoughts, and planning. In another study from the centers for disease control it was found the female video game players reported greater depression and poor overall health than the non-players. Male video game players reported to higher body mass index and more Internet use time overall than male nine players. In another study from Norway found that as computer game playing increase there's a higher prevalence of sleeping problems, depression, suicide ideation's, anxiety, obsessions compulsions, and alcohol substance abuse.
It's essential that parent supervise time children spend on the Internet and that they put limits over the kinds of sites available. Recent studies have shown that the kids to spend the most time on the Internet have the poor social skills. Balance and supervision are the biggest keys.
Video games and television have led to another major contributor in the rise of ADD in our society, the lack of exercise. Exercise increases blood flow to all parts of the body, including the brain. As kids watch more TV and spend more time exercising only their arms with video games, they are becoming more sluggish and less attentive. Through the years I've seen a direct relationship between the level of exercise a person gets in the severity of their symptoms. I have also noted that when my ADD patients are playing sports, such as basketball, where there is intense aerobic exercise, they do better in school, without any change in their medication. Pg 35m
One of the fastest ways to hurt your brain is to get less than seven or eight hours of sleep at night. People who typically get six hours of sleep or less have lower overall blood flow to the brain, which hurts it's function.
Brain reserve starts before you were even born. When you were conceived, if your mother ate well, took her vitamins, and wasn't under a lot of stress, she was building your reserve. But if she drank, smoked, or ate poorly, you likely started with less reserve. In the same way throughout the rest of your life you are either building or depleting your reserve. Being raised in a loving, stable, healthy environment strengthen your reserve, where getting a concussion from playing contact sports or being chronically stressed or fed junk food drain your reserve. And unfortunately as we age the brain becomes less and less active, making you more vulnerable to problems. But the really good news is that no matter what your age you can boost your reserve and make your brain look and feel younger. Pg 57
Parenting and family strategies: spend some special time with your child each day even if it's only 10 to 15 minutes. Be a good listener-be clear with what you expect. It is effective for families to have posted rules, spelling out the values of the family. For example "we treat each other with respect, which means no yelling, no hitting, no name-calling or put downs. We look for ways to make each other's lives easier.". When a child lives up to the rules and expectations be sure to notice him or her. Mean what you say. Don't tell a child 10 times to do something. Children live up to the labels we give them. In parenting always remember the words "firm but kind". Pg 295
It's important to distinguish between punishment and discipline. Punishment means to inflict a penalty for wrongdoing. Discipline, from the word disciple, means to teach or train. It's critical that we use discipline to teach children how to be good, rather than inflict punishment when they're not. Reinforcing good behavior is a much more effective change agent then giving consequences to bad behavior. Pg 303
January 15, 2015
Amens is, controversially, at the forefront of a revolution in psychiatry, using SPECT scans to actually observe brain activity. Thus,it is claimed, rather than a clinicians all-too-fallible interpretation of behavior, one can literally quantify and delineate exactly what is going wrong within a person’s brain. It is very possible that in 50 years or so, the entire panoply of mental health diagnoses may change – based on the observation of clear malfunctions within the brain. I am not suggesting that psychological (rather than neurological) disturbance will no longer exist, nor that mind and soul are merely a “secretion” of the brain, but Amens makes a case to work with the hardware (neurology) in addition to the software (psychology). However, Amens has been faulted in not establishing through full studies the veracity of what he claims. Amens has commercialized and asserted a level of accuracy that is not generally supported by other neurologists. It is, as yet unclear, if through his SPECT scans, he takes a snapshot in the moment, or if he is capturing a picture of a consistent brain state in his patients.
Furthermore, he takes ADD as an immutable disorder--there is considerable evidence that much of what is described as ADD is an artifact of forcing children - particularly boys - into environments (the modern school system) that are not biologically sound. A human child is not essentially 'built' to learn by sitting unmoving most of the day and playfulness (through which they really learn) is sanctioned as disturbed behavior.
There is no doubt that there are some children who manifest pathological neurological organization and even structure. The vast majority of children diagnosed with ADD almost surely do not.
Furthermore, he takes ADD as an immutable disorder--there is considerable evidence that much of what is described as ADD is an artifact of forcing children - particularly boys - into environments (the modern school system) that are not biologically sound. A human child is not essentially 'built' to learn by sitting unmoving most of the day and playfulness (through which they really learn) is sanctioned as disturbed behavior.
There is no doubt that there are some children who manifest pathological neurological organization and even structure. The vast majority of children diagnosed with ADD almost surely do not.
March 26, 2016
I wasn't as impressed with this book as I had originally anticipated. I supposed maybe it's because most of the information I read in the book I was already aware of.
Also the language was kind of drab, and redundant. I wish the chapters were a little more unique, or perhaps some set up in a somewhat of a different way to keep my attention.
Aside from that it really was an educational book, that I'm still glad to have read. I always like learning about the many different opinions/schools of thought on ADHD. I find myself falling into the camp of the best ADHD treatments are those followed in all aeas of life: eating, exercise, mental/emotional health, and yes even medication.
I like the fact that Amen outlines the fact that different people have different type of ADHD, and even shows some of the scientific reasons, like how different brains are wired as to why.
It's a decent read, but probably not the first book I would point somebody towards who's first learning about ADD and ADHD.
Also the language was kind of drab, and redundant. I wish the chapters were a little more unique, or perhaps some set up in a somewhat of a different way to keep my attention.
Aside from that it really was an educational book, that I'm still glad to have read. I always like learning about the many different opinions/schools of thought on ADHD. I find myself falling into the camp of the best ADHD treatments are those followed in all aeas of life: eating, exercise, mental/emotional health, and yes even medication.
I like the fact that Amen outlines the fact that different people have different type of ADHD, and even shows some of the scientific reasons, like how different brains are wired as to why.
It's a decent read, but probably not the first book I would point somebody towards who's first learning about ADD and ADHD.
September 22, 2015
Contains good information on types of ADD and alternate healing but mostly this book reads like one long infomercial for SPECT imaging.
May 23, 2017
I love how at the beginning of the book he says that if you have ADD you probably won't finish reading this book! Ha! Well that made me determined to finish it! It took me a while but I did it. I liked this book and the concept of how our brains work differently. The only thing that bothered me is that many times I would finish a chapter and think "Gosh, I feel like everyone has ADD!" Hahaha! I wish that I had access to an Amen Clinic to get my son and I tested. I have never been diagnosed with ADD, but have always suspected I had it. Dr. Amen believe it is hereditary. I worry now a days that so much of just the nature of boyhood is being labeled as ADD. So it would be nice to take a peek into my sons brain and even mine to see if he really truly has ADD. I did like that he validated the use of medication. So I think this was helpful...now I just need help remembering everything I read! Hahaha!
August 22, 2020
My SO's therapist recommended this book, so I was a little surprised to find out this guy is one of those controversial celebrity docs; I probably would have passed on it had I known that beforehand. I looked him up online after reading the first couple chapters and apparently very little of his brain imaging stuff has any established scientific backing. The way he talks about scanning everyone in his life apparently for fun, and especially the way he divulges really personal details about his family members (including his ex) also struck me as more than a little unprofessional. I'm also a bit skeptical about his claims regarding the efficacy of "natural" supplements and diet; I certainly appreciate the attempt at a holistic approach, and he by no means demonizes "traditional" medications like stimulants and anti-depressants, which is good, but I'd like to see more data about the efficacy of these methods before taking the anecdotes presented here as gospel.
That said, I do think there is some good stuff in here. I found his breakdown of the seven "types" of ADD very interesting, and I'm curious if any other providers are latching on to this framework, or if they have other ways of describing these symptom clusters. I liked his argument for using "ADD" instead of "ADHD", since it does seem pretty clear that hyperactivity is not an essential component of the disorder and even for those who do have it, it does not always manifest in a way that is easily recognizable as hyperactivity. I also really liked the chapter about ANTs ("Automatic Negative Thoughts"), which provides some very solid strategies for dealing with negative self-talk.
I didn't read the entire book cover-to-cover (the introduction even points out that doing so might be difficult for someone with ADD!), but I did skim a good deal of it, and read several sections thoroughly that dealt with aspects that felt relevant to me. Overall there were some interesting parts and some useful practical advice, but it felt pretty shaky when he ventured into the more science-y areas, so maybe keep some grains of salt on hand.
That said, I do think there is some good stuff in here. I found his breakdown of the seven "types" of ADD very interesting, and I'm curious if any other providers are latching on to this framework, or if they have other ways of describing these symptom clusters. I liked his argument for using "ADD" instead of "ADHD", since it does seem pretty clear that hyperactivity is not an essential component of the disorder and even for those who do have it, it does not always manifest in a way that is easily recognizable as hyperactivity. I also really liked the chapter about ANTs ("Automatic Negative Thoughts"), which provides some very solid strategies for dealing with negative self-talk.
I didn't read the entire book cover-to-cover (the introduction even points out that doing so might be difficult for someone with ADD!), but I did skim a good deal of it, and read several sections thoroughly that dealt with aspects that felt relevant to me. Overall there were some interesting parts and some useful practical advice, but it felt pretty shaky when he ventured into the more science-y areas, so maybe keep some grains of salt on hand.
January 11, 2016
I was diagnosed with ADD at the age of 39. I resisted the idea for about a minute: "But that is just for young boys," I said. "No," replied my doctor. "It's for everybody and I think it could explain a great deal about the problems you are describing. I'd like to refer you to a psychiatrist..."
So I got on the internet, did a self-test that convinced me, and made an appointment with the psychiatrist. She confirmed the diagnosis and asked if I wanted medicine. I didn't. "Just tell me what your favorite book is on this subject."
And that's when I got this one - and it turned out to be a life changer!
Part medical text and part real-life storytelling, Healing ADD explains so much, not just about my constant irritability and procrastination, but also about my financial debt, hatred for telephones and also for housework, and all those blown deadlines. With understanding comes peace, rather than self-flagellation. What a relief.
Then there are the strategies for healing. Sleep, diet, exercise. No surprises there. Tackle automatic negative thinking. That makes sense. Supplements and medications. Check. Dr. Amen's breakthrough is using brain scan technology to identify six separate kinds of ADD and describing which treatments work best for which types. A self-test in the book helped me identify my kind of ADD and choose strategies to address the specific dysfunction.
One of the myths of ADD is that someone with the condition wouldn't be able to read a 400 page book on the subject. Not true. It's the mundane stuff we struggle with. If we find something interesting, we're good all day long. Healing ADD is riveting from beginning to end. I recommend this for anyone who may have ADD or who loves someone who does.
So I got on the internet, did a self-test that convinced me, and made an appointment with the psychiatrist. She confirmed the diagnosis and asked if I wanted medicine. I didn't. "Just tell me what your favorite book is on this subject."
And that's when I got this one - and it turned out to be a life changer!
Part medical text and part real-life storytelling, Healing ADD explains so much, not just about my constant irritability and procrastination, but also about my financial debt, hatred for telephones and also for housework, and all those blown deadlines. With understanding comes peace, rather than self-flagellation. What a relief.
Then there are the strategies for healing. Sleep, diet, exercise. No surprises there. Tackle automatic negative thinking. That makes sense. Supplements and medications. Check. Dr. Amen's breakthrough is using brain scan technology to identify six separate kinds of ADD and describing which treatments work best for which types. A self-test in the book helped me identify my kind of ADD and choose strategies to address the specific dysfunction.
One of the myths of ADD is that someone with the condition wouldn't be able to read a 400 page book on the subject. Not true. It's the mundane stuff we struggle with. If we find something interesting, we're good all day long. Healing ADD is riveting from beginning to end. I recommend this for anyone who may have ADD or who loves someone who does.
December 7, 2014
If I had an ADHD Required Reading list, this would go on it. Amen's work doing brain scans of ADHD patients has yielded some fascinating pieces to the story of what may cause the disorder and what is actually happening in the brains of those who have this difference. While I'm not sure it lives up to its title to "heal" ADHD, the book provides much useful information all based in science, such as the fact that brain scans show that certain parts of the brain's of folks with ADHD may almost shut down when they are told to "focus," so you have to find a different way of helping them. (This reminded me of a time in scuba instruction when I was struggling with a particular breathing/swimming test and the instructor just kept screaming at me to "CALM DOWN!!" instead of offering me constructive coaching. My response (internally) was "Well, genius, if I could do that don't you think I WOULD??" ADHD folks must have the same reaction on a daily basis.) Dr. Amen writes in a very accessible way with lots of stories and good humor, which was very much appreciated. He also takes a holistic approach, discussing natural remedies along with they more typical pharmaceutical and behavioral treatments.
August 14, 2010
I have read several books on the subject of ADD--this is the best of them. There are many very interesting aspects to this book. The author has been able to break ADD into six categories. People who suffer from ADD generally fall into one of these categories, though occasionally, into a combination of them. There is a questionnaire that helps one to sort out which category one might fit into. Most interesting of all, is the gallery of SPECT brain scans, that correspond to these six categories of ADD. A person who has ADD has a normal SPECT brain scan when relaxing. But when performing a mental task (like arithmetic), the brain scan often shows an abnormal absence of activity! The author also shows which medications are appropriate for the six categories of ADD. The wrong medication can actually worsen one's problems.
September 8, 2007
This book describes the different types of ADD which are quite different from each other. If you have a kid with any problems with school, relationships, verbalizing, or depression, read it.
This man is a dynamo of energy and enthusiam for fixing the brain when everyone else is giving up. Often he decibes sitautions where wrong disagnosis are given to a person and their life slowly falls apart - for no reason. There are solutions. He has a practise in Cliafornia and Virginia and writes a zillions books too. He uses innovative methods of diagnosing his patients and teaching other shrinks to do the same.
I would love to take whatever mediation or therapy he takes cuz the guy seems to be the nicest, most empathetic, full of energy person in the world.
This man is a dynamo of energy and enthusiam for fixing the brain when everyone else is giving up. Often he decibes sitautions where wrong disagnosis are given to a person and their life slowly falls apart - for no reason. There are solutions. He has a practise in Cliafornia and Virginia and writes a zillions books too. He uses innovative methods of diagnosing his patients and teaching other shrinks to do the same.
I would love to take whatever mediation or therapy he takes cuz the guy seems to be the nicest, most empathetic, full of energy person in the world.
September 25, 2008
This book is helping me to fully understand my son's diagnosis of ADD. So many symptoms that are mentioned in the book as related to ADD are very much my child, and I had not before associated them with this disorder. I now better understand what our pediatrician was explaining to us about brain neurotransmitters and what the effect is on the brain. Generally, I get bored reading medical-related books, but this one is so relevant to us that I am having no problems reading and understanding it.
January 4, 2014
I found this book to be very informative and reader-friendly. Dr. Amen's style of writing was very engaging and I especially liked the case examples. As I was reviewing the 7 identified types of ADD, I thought some of the descriptions were more fitting for comorbid diagnoses rather than just ADD alone. I found Dr. Amen's treatment approach to be very comprehensive and holistic. This is the way healthcare should be provided!
September 13, 2017
This book contains lots of good information for people who may have ADD and their families. Brain scans proving that ADD is *real* and "try harder" is not an acceptable response to the disorder are powerful anti-stigma visuals. This book was very thorough describing the multiple (7) kinds of ADD and listing possible supplements/treatments for them. I was impressed by the *variety* of treatments and lifestyle changes explained in depth to help someone with ADD. Many of the chapters repeated points from earlier in the book but I figure that's not a bad thing- seeing information more than once helps you retain it. The most engaging parts were the minibiographies describing patients' transformations over time as they stuck with treatment programs. The "ADD life coach" concept and the "self-hypnosis recording" were unusual methods that sound like they're worth a try.
I don't have ADD (the repeating of the "core symptoms" that don't apply to me cemented that) but I have family members who likely do.
I don't have ADD (the repeating of the "core symptoms" that don't apply to me cemented that) but I have family members who likely do.
April 19, 2020
TLDR: I highly recommend this book if you have ADD/ADHD, especially if you were recently diagnosed, or if you care about someone with ADD.
I had a rough winter and when I went to the dr for help they recommended I take a test for ADD based on the fact that my son has the diagnosis. I was skeptical. They strapped a sensor to my head and had me complete a concentration activity. My results showed them that I did in fact have ADD. I was still skeptical. In my first therapy appointment my dr recommended this book so I got it and started reading.
There was a lot of brain jargon and treatment talk that I often struggled to follow but this book made my life make sense. It explained so much about the things that I have always known about myself, the things that I have always tried to change but had no success with. I couldn’t believe how much of my life was in the chapters of this book. It also helped me have a better understanding of my son and strategies to use with him and as a teacher it has me thinking about different ways to interact with an support my students with ADD.
I had a rough winter and when I went to the dr for help they recommended I take a test for ADD based on the fact that my son has the diagnosis. I was skeptical. They strapped a sensor to my head and had me complete a concentration activity. My results showed them that I did in fact have ADD. I was still skeptical. In my first therapy appointment my dr recommended this book so I got it and started reading.
There was a lot of brain jargon and treatment talk that I often struggled to follow but this book made my life make sense. It explained so much about the things that I have always known about myself, the things that I have always tried to change but had no success with. I couldn’t believe how much of my life was in the chapters of this book. It also helped me have a better understanding of my son and strategies to use with him and as a teacher it has me thinking about different ways to interact with an support my students with ADD.
January 22, 2025
I cannot recommend this book enough. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have ADD or know someone with ADD. This is an amazing resource for anyone looking to better their health especially as it pertains to the brain. Not only has this taught me so many things I can implement into my life but it has given me more empathy for people who I would’ve thought before reading this were just “crazy” or “bad people.”
Despite being reissued in 2013 most of his strategies are consistent with what he says today in podcasts and his own social media. I can’t wrap my head around the amount of hate he gets in the neuroscience community because I believe he is one of the most innovative doctors out there. I found myself often thinking “why has my doctor never told me x could be the reason I have headaches all the time instead of just prescribing me with something” while reading this.
Despite being reissued in 2013 most of his strategies are consistent with what he says today in podcasts and his own social media. I can’t wrap my head around the amount of hate he gets in the neuroscience community because I believe he is one of the most innovative doctors out there. I found myself often thinking “why has my doctor never told me x could be the reason I have headaches all the time instead of just prescribing me with something” while reading this.
September 25, 2020
A great book for those interested in an overview of ADD along with scientific insights of the various types of the disorder.
One should most definitely read this prior to seeking professional advice as it helps filter out the paths to avoid and can possibly help the reader if their condition isn't as bad as anticipated.
Many sections of the book concentrate on families, children and the interaction between those with the disorder and the loved ones they live with. If this does not apply to you, then these sections can be skipped without ruining your experience with the book.
Overall, very informative and easy to understand.
One should most definitely read this prior to seeking professional advice as it helps filter out the paths to avoid and can possibly help the reader if their condition isn't as bad as anticipated.
Many sections of the book concentrate on families, children and the interaction between those with the disorder and the loved ones they live with. If this does not apply to you, then these sections can be skipped without ruining your experience with the book.
Overall, very informative and easy to understand.
May 21, 2020
My son has ADHD and this book was very helpful in many ways. I’m so glad we got him diagnosed when we did. Dr Aman Goes into a lot of detail. Maybe too much detail? It’s a long book! But I would recommend it to anyone with this in their lives, adults are just as affected as children. He talks about medication, supplements, exercise, parenting strategies, school strategies, you name it! Very thorough and helpful.
January 30, 2023
A book that helped me understand my ADD and my son’s. Well, there is some useful advice, I feel there is too much reliance on psychiatry and Holistics, as opposed to psychology.
I am glad I read it, but I think I would look for a better book to recommend to others
I am glad I read it, but I think I would look for a better book to recommend to others
January 3, 2019
An excellent all round explanation of Attention Deficit Disorder that comes replete with case studies and numerous brain images. It also offers a range of cures from medication to self-hypnosis. The best part for me was the subtyping of ADD into seven versions based on symptoms. There is an address in the book to a 70 question survey on the author's website that will help the reader identify which subtype, if any, they have. On the minus side, the book read at times like an advertisement for Daniel Amen's clinics. It also repeated itself unnecessarily and I estimate that 35% of the content could have been eliminated without any loss of information. Overall, a highly recommended resource for anyone who believes they suffer from this affliction.
March 2, 2024
Very thorough book on the various types of adhd and which meds/supplements can best support. If you can’t afford a $5k brain scan this is well worth the $20 spent
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